HOUSE AND GARDEN 
March, 1911 
A Ready Reference Library 
House & Garden Bound Volume XVIII 
July to ‘December 1910 inclusive 
j^/JANY of our friends tell us that there is such 
a wealth of timely suggestion in House & 
Garden that they cannot at the time of publica¬ 
tion carry it all into effect. This invaluable infor¬ 
mation contained in House & Garden is of live 
and lasting interest. Make it always available. 
Do not trust to loose copies, for when they are 
most needed they will have disappeared. 
^JpHE six issues of House & Garden from July 
to December inclusive make a volume of 
practical utility in meeting the problems of the 
home-maker and gardener. In bound form they 
are permanently and instantly accessible. 
You can have them bound at a trifling expense 
W E have made an attractive, permanent binder 
of rich soft brown decorated in russet, 
purple and gold, with a cover design by George 
Hood. For those who wish to send their magazines 
to the local bindery we can supply this cover for 
$ 1 . 00 . Subscribers who return their copies in 
good condition can have them bound for $1.25. 
Additional copies at 25c. each. Price for the 
bound volume complete $2.75. These charges do 
not include expressage. 
McBRIDE, WINSTON &? COMPANY 
PUBLISHERS 
449 Fourth Avenue New York 
Travel 
McBRIDE, WINSTON fef CO., Publishers 
449 FOURTH AVENUE, NEW YORK 
Enclosed find.for which please fill 
my order as follows: 
( One cloth binding for my local binder to stitch 
at $1.00 
One volume XVIII bound with my copies sent 
to you today-$ 1 . 25 . 
One bound volume XVIII complete-~$ 2 . 75 . 
Additional copies of.at 25 c. each. 
Name. 
Address. 
Alfalfa for Poultry 
r I 'HOSE living in a village or on a 
surburban place, who must confine 
hens in yards, have difficulty in providing 
suitable green food for them, and without 
a cheap source of green food, hens kept 
in confinement are less profitable than 
those which have the run of a grass range. 
If one can easily supply hens with green 
food, which has so large a protein con¬ 
tent, that the grain ration can be considera¬ 
bly reduced, the net profit will be greater. 
Fowls are kept in better health, and have 
stronger vitality when supplied with green 
food all the year. 
I have kept a large flock of hens on my 
village place for several years. I am now 
While one crop of alfalfa is growing the hens 
can be turned out to eat another 
satisfied that the best crop to grow for 
them, that provides a succulent food in 
summer, is alfalfa. A plot of alfalfa, well 
established, a rod or two square, will fur¬ 
nish a flock of 50 fowls with green food all 
summer. Good rich garden soil, that is 
drained, is just the place for the alfalfa 
bed. If one is doubtful about growing 
alfalfa, he can grow it in drills, if the con¬ 
ditions are made right. 
Early in the spring when the soil has 
dried out so it crumbles in the hand, plow 
or spade up the plot for alfalfa, and if it 
is not rich enough to grow a large crop 
of corn, work in and mix well with the 
soil, stable manure or high grade commer¬ 
cial fertilizers. 
The clover family, of which alfalfa is 
a member, requires lime as a food, and 
more than most soils contain, so it is a 
safe thing to do to apply lime to the alfal¬ 
fa bed before sowing the alfalfa. If one 
can buy ground lime, he can sow it over 
the bed as he would his fertilizer, but if 
stone lime is used it must be put in small 
piles and slacked by covering with soil, 
afterward spreading it with a shovel. One 
ton to the acre is about right, if one cares 
to figure it for a small plot, but there is 
not much danger of getting on too much. 
The lime should be applied early in the 
spring, either before or after the manure, 
as no harm will come, unless lime and 
manure are brought in close contact in the 
same pile. Wood ashes can be uSed in 
place of lime, as they are one-third lime, 
but a considerable quantity is needed. 
Work the plot over every few days, so 
as to get it in good tilth, and destroy the 
first crop of weeds. The last of May or 
In writing to advertisers please mention House and Garden. 
